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92-538: Though the Chambord's engine and central section were retained, the Esplanada featured radically restyled front and rear ends. The interior featured reclinable leather seats and fine Jacarandá wood trimmings on dashboard and doors. The 140 hp (104 kW; 142 PS) engine now was fed by an electric fuel pump and featured a 34-Ampère alternator. The 6M trim featured an overdrive that operated on all three gears of

184-460: A 53.5% interest (fully diluted). Fiat and Chrysler have both stated that they expect that interest to reach 58.5% by the end of 2011 as result of achievement of the third of the three performance objectives. On 5 January 2012 Fiat released press info that the ownership has increased to 58.5%. The stake was further increased to 68.49% in July 2013. On 1 January 2014, Fiat announced it would be acquiring

276-520: A Scottish investment management company. Fiat's principal operating subsidiaries (direct and indirect) include: Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A. (FGA), Chrysler Group LLC , Fiat Automoveis, S.A. (subsidiary of FGA); FGA Capital S.p.A. (a JV held 50% by FGA and 50% by Crédit Agricole CF), Ferrari S.p.A. , Maserati S.p.A. , Magneti Marelli S.p.A., Teksid S.p.A., Comau S.p.A., Itedi-Italiana Edizioni S.p.A. (see 2010 Annual Report ) Fiat has undertaken numerous joint ventures and alliances. Commencing in 1978,

368-744: A business that has experienced a loss in European market share from 9.3 to 6.2 percent. In December 2013, Marchionne announced that he intended to discontinue the Grande Punto so that the company could focus on "cool, high margin" Fiat 500 (2007) variants and the Fiat Panda . In 2010, John Elkann became the Chairman of Fiat SpA and shareholders approved a plan to demerger Fiat's capital goods businesses. Agricultural and construction equipment manufacturer CNH Global NV, truck maker Iveco , and

460-498: A cavalry officer). He often referred to other managers by their first name, although company tradition obliged one to refer to others using their titles (e.g., "Chairman Fresco"). The CEO of the company, Paolo Cantarella, ran the day-to-day affairs of the company, while Fresco determined company strategy and especially acted as a negotiator for the company. In 1999, Fiat formed CNH Global by merging New Holland NV and Case Corporation . In 2003, Fiat shed its insurance sector, which it

552-542: A compromise with the centrist parties ordered the occupation to end. In 1922, Fiat began to build the famous Lingotto car factory—then the largest in Europe—which opened in 1923. It was the first Fiat factory to use assembly lines; by 1925, Fiat controlled 87% of the Italian car market. In 1928, with the 509 , Fiat included insurance in the purchase price. Fiat made military machinery and vehicles during World War II for

644-674: A controlling 64% by purchasing stock from Fiat, and they subsequently extended that holding further to 77%. Even in 1971 Fiat retained a 19% holding, but by now they had long ceased to play an active role in the business. Also, in 1964 Chrysler bought the British manufacturer Rootes thus putting together the basis of Chrysler Europe . All the Simca models manufactured after 1967 had the Chrysler pentastar logo as well as Simca badging. In 1961, Simca started to manufacture all of its models in

736-638: A departure from their past preference for large cars). Also, Japanese automakers had been taking an ever-larger share of the car market, increasing at more than half a percent a year. Consequently, in 1984, Fiat and Lancia withdrew from the United States market. In 1989, it did the same in the Australian market, although it remained in New Zealand. In 1986, Fiat acquired Alfa Romeo from the Italian government. Also, in 1986 15% of Fiat company stock

828-483: A far higher level of government subsidy than the government could contemplate. Both the “Simca-Grégoire” project and the government's own enthusiasm for micro-managing the French automobile industry were by now running out of momentum. Sensing that there was no prospect of putting the “Simca-Grégoire” into production any time soon, General Technical Director Grégoire resigned from the company early in 1947. Meanwhile, at

920-431: A joint venture GAC Fiat created in 2010. Under Marchionne Fiat also re-entered several large markets that it had exited years before, such as Mexico and Australia. In December 2008, Marchionne announced Fiat had to become one of the top five automakers to survive in the long run. Under Marchionne's leadership, Fiat returned to Canadian and American markets with the new 500. However, since 2009, Marchionne has presided over

1012-452: A material for car bodies. A few weeks after the liberation Grégoire joined the Simca board as General Technical Director, in order to prepare for the production of the AFG at the company's Nanterre factory. For Simca, faced with a determinedly dirigiste left-wing French government , the prospect of nationalisation seemed very real. ( Renault had already been confiscated and nationalised by

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1104-916: A new small car, resulting in the Fiat 500 and Ford Ka . In 2012, Fiat formed an alliance with Mazda to develop and build a new rear wheel drive roadster for the Alfa Romeo and Mazda brands. Fiat is the largest vehicle manufacturer in Italy, with cars ranging from small Fiat city cars to sports cars made by Ferrari, and vans and trucks such as the Ducato . Besides Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A., Fiat Group automotive companies include Chrysler Group LLC and Maserati S.p.A. The Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A. companies include: Abarth & C. S.p.A. , Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. , Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. , Fiat Professional and Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. Ferrari S.p.A.

1196-658: A set of requirements for any producer wishing to establish a plant in Brazil. Simca claimed that their proposal and arrangement with Kubitschek pre-dated these rules and lobbied for exceptions. Simca also lobbied directly in Minas, but in the end were forced to present their own proposal, which was accepted with a number of conditions. The delays in passing the GEIA rules meant that Simca, which established its first plant in São Paulo ,

1288-404: A single plant and, in 1961, to sell the old Nanterre plant. The 1950s was a decade of growth for Simca, and by 1959 the combined output of the plants at Nanterre and at Poissy had exceeded 225,000 cars, placing the manufacturer in second place among French automakers in volume terms, ahead of Peugeot and Citroën , though still far behind market leader Renault . The Ford purchase also added

1380-633: A small partnership with Metalmecánica SAIC (better known as de Carlo) for the production of the Simca Ariane in 1965. Henri Pigozzi was active in the automotive business in the early 1920s when he met Fiat founder Giovanni Agnelli . They began business together in 1922 with Pigozzi acting as a scrap merchant, buying old automobile bodies and sending them to Fiat for recycling. Two years later Pigozzi became Fiat's General Agent in France and in 1926 SAFAF (Société Anonyme Française des Automobiles Fiat)

1472-551: A visit by Juscelino Kubitschek before his inauguration in 1956, organized by a Brazilian General who had a family member employed there. He jokingly invited Simca to build a plant in Minas Gerais , his home state. Simca followed through and sent a letter of intent to this effect. In the interim, Brazil had formed an Executive Group for the Automotive Industry  [ pt ] (GEIA), which had established

1564-559: Is 90% owned by the Fiat Group. The company also owns Autobianchi but the marque has been dormant since 1995, and Innocenti , which ceased production in 1996. The European Car of the Year award, Europe's premier automotive trophy for the past 50 years, has been awarded twelve times to the Fiat Group, more than any other manufacturer, most recently with the Fiat 500 in 2008. Previous Fiat Group models which have won European Car of

1656-470: Is Italy's largest industrial concern. It also has significant worldwide operations, operating in 61 countries with 1,063 companies that employ over 223,000 people, 111,000 of whom are outside Italy. Fiat's main shareholders include 30.1% by Exor S.p.A. (controlled by the Agnelli family), 24.9% by EU institutional investors, 11.2% by outside EU institutional investors and 2.6% by Baillie Gifford & Co. ,

1748-512: The Agnelli family (which owned Fiat ) and Fiat's powerful political influence with the Mussolini government in Italy secured relatively favourable treatment for Simca during the years when France fell under the control of Italy's powerful ally, Germany . Despite France being occupied, Simca cars continued to be produced in small numbers throughout the war. Following the 1944 liberation ,

1840-575: The AvtoVAZ plant in the new city of Togliattigrad on the Volga . This began operation in 1970, producing a local version of the Fiat 124 as the Lada . On his initiative, Fiat automobile and truck plants were also constructed in industrial centers of Yugoslavia , Poland, Bulgaria, and Romania. In 1973, Fiat established Comau , an industrial automation company out of the various suppliers which had equipped

1932-536: The Italian army and Regia Aeronautica , and later for the Germans. Fiat made fighter aircraft like the biplane CR.42 Falco , which was one of the most common Italian aircraft, along with Savoia-Marchettis , as well as light tanks, obsolete compared to their German and Soviet counterparts, and armoured vehicles. The best Fiat aircraft was the G.55 fighter, which arrived too late and in too limited numbers to impact

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2024-612: The Type Four platform was an alliance between Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Lancia and Saab and resulting in a range of cars on sale in the mid-1980s. In 2000 a number of joint ventures were established with General Motors following GM buying 20% of Fiat while Fiat bought 6% of GM. Complications with the relationship saw these JVs being wound back by 2005. Resulting projects included the GM Fiat Small platform and Fiat-GM Powertrain . In 2005, Fiat formed an alliance with Ford to create

2116-573: The United States and Canada in 2011, marking the company's return to the American auto market , which it had been absent from since 1984. Prior to this, Fiat's main presence on the continent was Mexico, where it offers a greater variety of products than in the United States and Canada. On 10 January 2011, Fiat announced that it had increased its share in Chrysler from 20% to 25% following

2208-617: The Volkswagen project across the Rhine, the authorities determined that GFA should produce the two door version of the "AFG", a small family car that had been developed during the war by the influential automobile engineer, Jean-Albert Grégoire . Grégoire owed his influence to a powerfully persuasive personality and a considerable engineering talent. Regarding the future of the French automobile industry, Grégoire held strong opinions, two of which favoured front-wheel drive and aluminium as

2300-478: The automotive industry , and that was succeeded by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV (FCA). The Fiat Group contained many brands such as Ferrari, Maserati, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, the Chrysler Group, and many more. On 29 January 2014, it was announced that Fiat S.p.A. (the former owner of Fiat Group) was to be merged into a new Netherlands-based holding company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV (FCA), taking place before

2392-587: The 1959 Geneva Auto Show . It was also displayed at the New York Auto Show, and the 1961 Chicago Auto Show . The concept car was intended to show what cars in the year 2000 would look like. It was to be atomic powered, voice controlled, guided by radar, and use only two wheels balanced by gyroscopes when driven at over 150 km/h. Fulgur is Latin for flash or lightning . In 1958, the American car manufacturer Chrysler , which wanted to enter

2484-663: The 1960s. The company was reorganized on a product-line basis, with two main product groups—one for passenger cars, the other for trucks and tractors—and a number of semi-independent division and subsidiaries. Top management, freed from responsibility for day-by-day operations of the company, was able to devote its efforts to more far-reaching goals. In 1967, Fiat made its first acquisition when it purchased Autobianchi ; with sales amounting to $ 1.7 billion, it outstripped Volkswagen, its main European competitor, and in 1968 produced some 1,750,000 vehicles while its sales volume climbed to $ 2.1 billion. According to Newsweek in 1968, Fiat

2576-522: The 3CV Simca 5 , a version of the Fiat Topolino announced in the Spring, but only available for sale from October 1936. Its name references the first digit of the car's 570 cc displacement. The Huit , a 6CV version of the Fiat 508C -1100, appeared in late 1937 for the 1938 model year - hence its name. Production of the 6CV and 11CV stopped in 1937, leaving the 5 and the 8 in production until

2668-525: The AvtoVAZ plant in Russia. Comau became an industry pioneer in the use of Robotics for vehicle assembly – a technology with which Fiat would become synonymous for in the 1970s, with its "Robogate" system for bodyshell manufacture, and the later FIRE family of robot-assembled engines in the 1980s. Despite offering a relatively competitive range of cars, Fiat was not immune from the financial pressures that

2760-952: The Esplanada called the Simca Regente was introduced in 1966. In 1968 a sporty version of the Esplanada called the Simca GTX was introduced at the Salão do Automóvel in São Paulo. It offered a standard four-speed transmission, bucket seats, and larger wheels. The production of the Esplanada, the Regente, and the GTX ceased in 1969 when Chrysler introduced the larger Dodge Dart to the Brazilian market. Simca Simca ( Société Industrielle de Mécanique et Carrosserie Automobile ; Mechanical and Automotive Body Manufacturing Company)

2852-431: The European car market, bought 15% of Simca from Ford in a deal which Henry Ford II was later reported as having publicly regretted. At this stage, however, the dominant shareholder remained Fiat S.p.A. , and their influence is apparent in the engineering and design of Simcas of that period such as the 1000 and 1300 models introduced respectively in 1961 and 1963. However, in 1963 Chrysler increased their stake to

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2944-508: The Italians (e.g., precarious versus lifetime employment). Instead, Fresco focused on offering more incentives for good performance, including compensation using stock options for top and middle management. However, his efforts were frustrated by union objections. Unions insisted that pay raises be set by length of tenure, rather than performance. Another conflict was over his preference for informality (the founder, Giovanni Agnelli, used to be

3036-807: The Simca 1307 was sold in Britain as the Chrysler Alpine and the Horizon was also sold under the Chrysler brand. Simca vehicles were also manufactured by Simca do Brasil in São Bernardo do Campo , Brazil , and Barreiros (another Chrysler subsidiary) in Spain . They were also assembled in Australia , Chile , Colombia and the Netherlands during the Chrysler era. In Argentina, Simca had

3128-541: The Simca brand with Talbot after a short period when some models were badged as Simca-Talbots. During most of its post-war activity, Simca was one of the biggest automobile manufacturers in France. The Simca 1100 was for some time the best-selling car in France, while the Simca 1307 and Simca Horizon won the coveted European Car of the Year title in 1976 and 1979, respectively—these models were badge engineered as products of other marques in some countries. For instance

3220-574: The Supreme Court announced that Fiat was now an owner of the new Chrysler a.k.a. Chrysler Group LLC . Marchionne was appointed CEO of Chrysler following its emergence from bankruptcy proceedings. Under his leadership, Chrysler has taken on a structure similar to that of Fiat and has released, in quick succession, a large number of completely redesigned or refreshed vehicles. Fiat launched its 500 , which had been available in Europe since 2007, in

3312-751: The Talbot brand, and the last Simca design was launched as Peugeot 309 (instead of Talbot Arizona as had been originally planned). The Peugeot 309 used Simca engines until October 1991 (some 18 months before the end of production) when they were replaced by PSA's own TU and XU series of engines. The 309 was produced at the former Rootes factory in Ryton-on-Dunsmore , UK, as well as in the Poissy plant. Simcas were also manufactured in Brazil , Colombia , Spain and Finland . The last Simca-based car produced

3404-502: The U.S. and Canadian governments. On 25 May autonews.com reported that Fiat could buy government stakes in Chrysler as soon as the end of July 2011, increasing its total stake to 54%. In May 2011, it emerged that Fiat could actually increase its stake in Chrysler Group to more than 70 percent through the exercise of further options. In a regulatory filing dated 22 July 2011, the Michigan-based automaker reported that Fiat held

3496-540: The U.S., Brazil, Italy and other markets) and a long history of licensing manufacture of its products in other countries - in the 1960s , Fiat notably set up joint ventures in Eastern Europe with the best known being VAZ ( Lada ) in the former Soviet Union . It also has numerous alliances and joint ventures around the world, the main ones being located in Serbia, France, Turkey, India and China. Gianni Agnelli ,

3588-472: The US and providing reciprocal access to Fiat's global distribution network. Agreements were signed on 30 April 2009, with Fiat's future shareholding capped at 49% until all government loans had been repaid. In addition, the proposed agreement would entitle Fiat to receive a further 15% (without cash consideration) through the achievement of specific product and commercial objectives. No cash or financial support

3680-474: The US market. Maserati re-entered the US market under Fiat in 2002. Since then, Maserati sales there have been increasing briskly. Paolo Fresco became chairman of Fiat in 1998 with the hope that the veteran of General Electric would bring more emphasis on shareholder value to Fiat. By the time he took power, Fiat's market share in Italy had fallen to 41% from around 62% in 1984. However, a Jack Welch -like management style would be much harsher than that used by

3772-627: The V-8 powered Ford Vedette range to the Simca stable. This model continued to be produced and progressively upgraded until 1962 in France and 1967 in Brazil, but with various names under the Simca badge. An Aronde-powered version was also made in 1957 and called the Ariane which, because it was economical and had a large body, was popular as a taxi. In 1958, Simca bought the French Talbot-Lago manufacturing company. The Simca plant received

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3864-443: The Year at launch. However, Chrysler's forced marriage of Simca and Rootes was not a happy one - Chrysler Europe collapsed in 1977 and the remains were sold to Peugeot SA the following year for a nominal US$ 1.00 plus assumption of outstanding debt. The cars sold reasonably well in France, but were outsold by their key Ford, British Leyland and Vauxhall rivals in Britain. The last remaining Simca and Rootes models were discontinued by

3956-472: The Year: Fiat 124 (1967), Fiat 128 (1970), Fiat 127 (1972), Lancia Delta (1980), Fiat Uno (1984), Fiat Tipo (1989), Fiat Punto (1995), Fiat Bravo/Brava (1996), Alfa Romeo 156 (1998), Alfa Romeo 147 (2001) and the Fiat Panda (2004). Fiat Industrial Vehicles ( Fiat Veicoli Industriali ) was Fiat's truck and bus division. It was created in 1903 with the launch of the 24HP model. By 1908

4048-413: The achievement of the first of three performance objectives. On 11 April 2011, it announced achievement of the second performance objective, increasing its stake a further 5% to 30%. On 24 May 2011, Fiat announced that it had paid Chrysler US$ 1,268 million for a further 16% interest, increasing its stake total stake to 46% (fully diluted). The transaction coincided with Chrysler refinancing its debt to

4140-468: The auto industry confronted following the 1973 oil price shock . Towards the end of 1976 it was announced that the Libyan government was to take a 9.6% shareholding in the company in return for a capital injection worth an equivalent of £250 million. The size of the Libyan investment is apparent when it is compared to the £310 million IMF loan that the Italian government was trying to negotiate at

4232-498: The car was deemed ready for production. But Pigozzi was still cautious. He had little enthusiasm for the gratuitously unfathomable complexities involved in producing a mass-market front-wheel drive car. The experience of the Citroën Traction Avant , which had bankrupted its manufacturer in the mid-1930s, was not encouraging. Pigozzi therefore applied to the (at this stage still strongly interventionist) government for

4324-458: The company produced around 120 trucks, and by the end of 1918 production had grown to 17,000. The operation closed in 1974 when Fiat created IVECO with OM , Lancia , Magirus and Unic . Iveco was demerged into Fiat Industrial at the beginning of 2011. On 17 April 2007, Fiat Automobiles' light commercial vehicle unit Fiat Veicoli Commerciali was rebranded as Fiat Professional . Some of Fiat's light commercial vehicle products include

4416-473: The company's close association with Italy became an obvious liability in the feverish atmosphere of recrimination and new beginnings that swept France following four years of German occupation . Nevertheless, shortly after the liberation the Nanterre plant's financial sustainability received a boost when Simca won a contract from the American army to repair large numbers of Jeep engines. On 3 January 1946

4508-510: The country accounted for more than a third of the company's revenue. Fiat-brand cars are built in several locations around the world. Outside Italy, the largest country of production is Brazil, where the Fiat brand is the market leader. The group also has factories in Argentina, Poland and Mexico (where Fiat-brand vehicles are manufactured at plants owned and operated by Chrysler for export to

4600-651: The dilutive effect of the Libyan investment on existing shareholders, the company's largest shareholder, the Agnelli family, retained a 30% stake in the recapitalised business. In 1979, the company became a holding company when it spun off its various businesses into autonomous companies, one of them being Fiat Auto. That same year, sales reached an all-time high in the US, corresponding to the Iranian Oil Crisis . However, when gas prices fell again after 1981, Americans began purchasing sport utility vehicles , minivans , and pickup trucks in larger numbers (marking

4692-511: The end of 1981, and the Simca-based Alpine and Horizon soldiered on through the first half of the 1980s using the resurrected Talbot badge, which itself had vanished from passenger cars within a decade. Meanwhile, Peugeot expanded its own brand and made use of the former Simca and Rootes factories for production of its own vehicles, although the Talbot brand survived into the 1990s on commercial vehicles. Peugeot eventually abandoned

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4784-535: The end of 2014. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles became the new owner of Fiat Group. On 1 August 2014, Fiat S.p.A. received necessary shareholder approval to proceed with the merger (which followed board approval). The merger became effective 12 October 2014. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors, including Giovanni Agnelli . During its more than century-long history, Fiat has also manufactured railway engines and carriages, military vehicles , farm tractors , and aircraft. In 2013, Fiat (together with Chrysler)

4876-513: The ex-Ford SAF factory in Poissy and sold the factory at Nanterre to Citroën . The rear-engined Simca 1000 was introduced in 1961 with its sporting offspring, the Simca- Abarth in 1963. The 1000 also served as the platform for the 1000 Coupe, a sports coupe sporting a Bertone -designed body by Giorgetto Giugiaro and 4-wheel disc brakes . It debuted in 1963 and was described by Car Magazine as "the world's neatest small coupe". 1967 saw

4968-581: The first 9 months of FY2006. Marchionne reduced Fiat's managerial bureaucracy refocused the business on markets and profit. While chairman, Luca di Montezemolo, dealt with politicians and unions, Marchionne rebuilt the car business. The success of the Grande Punto model was in large part responsible for the turnaround in Fiat's fortunes, but the award-winning 500 cemented it. Fiat formed a joint venture with India's TATA Motors , which has subsequently ended, and with China's Chery Motors which didn't conclude. In 2005 Fiat courted Ford, and returned to China with

5060-470: The first Fiat was exported to the US. That same year, the first Fiat aircraft engine was produced. Also around the same time, Fiat taxis became popular in Europe. By 1910, Fiat was the largest automotive company in Italy — a position it has retained since. That same year, a new plant was built in Poughkeepsie , NY, by the newly founded American F.I.A.T. Automobile Company. Owning a Fiat at that time

5152-473: The first Paris Motor Show since the end of the war , in October 1946, two models were on display on the Simca stand, being the Simca 5 and the Simca 8 , at this stage barely distinguishable from their pre-war equivalents. A new car arrived in 1948 with the Simca 6 , a development of the Simca 5 which it would eventually replace, featuring an overhead valve 570 cc engine: the Simca 6 was launched ahead of

5244-467: The full owner of Chrysler Group LLC in 2014. Fiat Group currently produces vehicles under twelve brands: Abarth , Alfa Romeo , Chrysler , Dodge , Ferrari , Fiat , Fiat Professional , Jeep , Lancia , Maserati , Ram Trucks , and SRT . In 1970, Fiat employed more than 100,000 in Italy when its production reached the highest number, 1.4 million cars, in that country. As of 2002, Fiat built more than 1 million vehicles at six plants in Italy and

5336-449: The government at the start of 1945.) Simca's long standing (but Italian born) Director General, Henri Pigozzi , was obliged to deploy his very considerable reserves of guile and charm in order to retain his own position within the company, and it appears that in the end Pigozzi owed his very survival at Simca to the intervention with the national politicians of his new board room colleague, Jean-Albert Grégoire . In return, Grégoire obtained

5428-454: The grandson of founder Giovanni Agnelli, was Fiat's chairman from 1966 until 1996; he then served as honorary chairman from 1996 until his death on 24 January 2003, during which time Cesare Romiti served as chairman. He was succeeded briefly by Paolo Fresco, who served as chairman, and Paolo Cantarella, as CEO. Umberto Agnelli then took over as chairman from 2003 to 2004. After Umberto Agnelli's death on 28 May 2004, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo

5520-570: The industrial and marine division of Fiat Powertrain Technologies were spun off into a new group on 1 January 2011. The parent company, Fiat Industrial S.p.A., was listed on the Milan stock exchange on 3 January 2011. In 2010, credit rating agency Fitch cut Fiat's debt rating to BB− after it had accumulated a debt of around € 9,300,000,000. In 2013, Fiats debt rating was cut again, this time by Moody's , to Ba3 over concerns European demand

5612-430: The introduction of the equivalent Fiat . The French economy in this period was in a precarious condition and government pressure was applied on the automakers to maximize export sales. During the first eight months of 1947, Simca exported 70% of cars produced, placing it behind Citroën (92% exported), Renault (90% exported), Peugeot (87% exported) and Ford France (83% exported). In the struggle to maximize exports, Simca

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5704-612: The merger (which followed board approval). FCA will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange with an additional listing on the Mercato Telematico Azionario in Milan to follow. The group's activities were initially focused on the industrial production of cars, industrial and agricultural vehicles. Over time it has diversified into many other fields, and the group now has activities in a wide range of sectors in industry and financial services. It

5796-402: The more powerful 1200S Bertone Coupe that, with a horsepower upgrade in 1970, could reach the dizzying speed of almost 112 mph (180 km/h), making it the fastest standard production Simca ever built. In 1967, a much more up to date car, the 1100, appeared with front wheel drive and independent suspension all round, and continued in production until 1979. On 1 July 1970 the company title

5888-467: The new government's five-year plan for the automobile industry (remembered, without affection, as the Pons Plan ) came into force. Government plans for Simca involved pushing it into a merger with various smaller companies such as Delahaye-Delage , Bernard, Laffly and Unic so as to create an automobile manufacturing combine to be called “Générale française automobile” (GFA). With half an eye on

5980-411: The outbreak of World War II. The firm nevertheless remained closely connected with Fiat, and it was not until 1938 that the shortened name "Simca" replaced "Simca-Fiat". Of the businesses that emerged as France's big four auto-makers after the war, Simca was unique in not suffering serious bomb damage to its plant. There were persistent suggestions that Henri Pigozzi 's close personal relationship with

6072-541: The outcome of the war. In 1945, the National Liberation Committee removed the Agnelli family from leadership roles in Fiat because of its ties to Mussolini's government. These were not returned until 1963, when Giovanni's grandson, Gianni , took over as general manager until 1966 and as chairman until 1996. Fiat launched a nuclear research program in the 1950s. It was the first private company in Europe to host its own nuclear reactor. Among

6164-594: The partnership was to provide both groups with significantly enhanced economies of scale and geographical reach at a time when they were struggling to compete with larger and more global rivals such as Toyota , Volkswagen and alliance partners Renault S.A. and Nissan . Fiat would not have to pay any money for its 20% of Chrysler. On 7 June 2009, the Indiana State Police Pension Fund, the Indiana Teacher's Retirement Fund, and

6256-432: The personal commitment of the surviving Director General to the production at Nanterre of his two-door AFG. It is very easy to see how the two-door AFG looked, because its four-door equivalent went into production, little changed from Grégoire's prototype, as the Panhard Dyna X . It was a car designed by an engineer, and Pigozzi thought it ugly. In trying to make it more appealing to the style conscious car buyers who, it

6348-450: The remaining shares of Chrysler owned by the VEBA worth $ 3.65 billion. The deal was completed by 21 January. On 29 January 2014, it was announced that Fiat S.p.A. would be merged into a new company, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, incorporated in the Netherlands with tax domicile in the UK. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will become the owner of Fiat Group. On 1 August 2014, Fiat S.p.A. received necessary shareholder approval to proceed with

6440-522: The standard transmission, and was marketed as a six-speed. From August 1967 on, the Simca Esplanadas featured a small badge at the rear end with the writing " fabricado pela Chrysler " ("built by Chrysler") following the takeover of Simca and Simca do Brasil by the American auto manufacturer in April. After sending a copy of the Esplanada to Detroit for review and testing, changes dictated by Chrysler headquarters lead to improvements for 53 mechanical details being introduced in April 1968. The car's appearance

6532-475: The state's Major Moves Construction Fund asked the US Supreme Court to delay the sale of Chrysler to Fiat while they challenge the deal. The funds argued that the sale went against US bankruptcy law because it unlawfully rewarded unsecured creditors ahead of secured creditors. On 9 June 2009, the Supreme Court lifted the temporary hold, clearing the way for Fiat to acquire Chrysler. See Indiana State Police Pension Trust v. Chrysler for more information. On 10 June,

6624-416: The time. Other aspects of the Libyan agreement included the construction of a truck and bus plant at Tripoli . Chairman Agnelli candidly described the deal as "a classic petro-money recycling operation which will strengthen the Italian reserves, provide Fiat with fresh capital and give the group greater tranquility in which to carry out its investment programmes". Equally noteworthy was the fact that despite

6716-412: The younger Agnelli's first steps after gaining control of Fiat was a massive reorganization of the company management, which had previously been highly centralized, with little provision for the delegation of authority and decision-making. Such a system was effective in the past, but lacked the responsiveness and flexibility needed by Fiat's steady expansion, and the growth of its international operations in

6808-597: Was "the most dynamic automaker in Europe...[and] may come closest to challenging the worldwide supremacy of Detroit." Then, in 1969, it purchased controlling interests in Ferrari and Lancia. At the time, Fiat was a conglomerate , owning Alitalia , toll highways, a typewriter and office machine manufacturer, electronics and electrical equipment firms, a paint company, a civil engineering firm, and an international construction company. Following up on an agreement Valletta had made with Soviet officials in 1966, Agnelli constructed

6900-571: Was a French automaker , founded in November 1934 by Fiat S.p.A. and directed from July 1935 to May 1963 by Italian Henri Pigozzi . Simca was affiliated with Fiat and, after Simca bought Ford 's French subsidiary , became increasingly controlled by Chrysler . In 1970, Simca became a brand of Chrysler's European business, ending its period as an independent company. Simca disappeared in 1978, when Chrysler divested its European operations to another French automaker, PSA Peugeot Citroën . PSA replaced

6992-452: Was a sign of distinction. The cost of a Fiat in the US was initially $ 4,000 and rose up to $ 6,400 in 1918, compared to $ 825 for a Ford Model T in 1908, and $ 525 in 1918, respectively. During World War I , Fiat had to devote all of its factories to supplying the Allies with aircraft, engines, machine guns, trucks, and ambulances. Upon the entry of the US into the war in 1917, the factory

7084-514: Was also updated with quad headlamps, a new grille, new tail lights, and new interior details. The 2.5-litre version of the Emi-Sul engine was discontinued in favor of a 2.4-litre version due to a spate of crankshaft failures; this engine had only 130 hp (97 kW; 132 PS). The significant mechanical improvements allowed Chrysler the confidence offer a novel 2-year or 36,000 km (22,369 mi) warranty. A lower-specification version of

7176-546: Was built around the 2.4 liter V8-engined Simca Vedette , which entered production in Brazil in March 1959. It was built under a variety of names and in a number of different bodystyles, until the Simca badge was retired there in 1969. Later models were redesigned completely, and were sold as the Simca Esplanada . The Simca Fulgur was a concept car designed in 1958 by Robert Opron for Simca and first displayed at

7268-426: Was changed to upper- and lower-case Fiat in 1906. Agnelli led the company until his death in 1945, while Vittorio Valletta administered the firm's daily activities. Its first car, the 3 ½ CV , of which only 24 copies were built, all bodied by Alessio of Turin, strongly resembled contemporary Benz , and had a 697 cc (42.5 cu in) boxer twin engine. In 1903, Fiat produced its first truck. In 1908,

7360-624: Was formally changed to Chrysler France. The most successful pre-Chrysler Simca models were the Aronde, the Simca 1000 and the front-engined 1100 compact. During the 1970s Chrysler era, Simca produced the new Chrysler 160/180/2 litre saloon, 1307 range ( Chrysler Alpine in the UK ) and later the Horizon , ( Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon in the USA). The 1307 and Horizon were both named European Car of

7452-613: Was founded. In 1928, SAFAF started the assembly of Fiat cars in Suresnes near Paris and licensed the production of some parts to local suppliers. By 1934, as many as 30,000 Fiat cars were sold by SAFAF. The SIMCA ( Société Industrielle de Mécanique et de Carrosserie Automobile ) company was founded in 1935 by Fiat S.p.A. , when it bought the former Donnet factory in the French town of Nanterre . The first cars produced were Fiat 508 Balillas and Fiat 518 Arditas, but with Simca-Fiat 6CV and 11CV badges. They were followed during 1936 by

7544-592: Was handicapped by the fact that it was not allowed to compete directly with its principal Italian shareholder, Fiat. The Simca Aronde , launched in 1951, was the first Simca model not based on a Fiat design. It had a 1200 cc engine and its production reached 100,000 units yearly. Following this success, Simca took over the French truck manufacturers Unic in 1951, Saurer in 1956, and the Poissy plant of Ford SAF in 1954. The Poissy plant had ample room for expansion, enabling Simca to consolidate French production in

7636-551: Was hoped, would appear in Simca showrooms once the economy picked up and government restrictions on car ownership began to be relaxed, Simca designers took the underpinnings of the Grégoire prototype and clothed it with various more conventionally modern bodies, the last of which looked uncannily similar to a shortened Peugeot 203 . This “Simca-Grégoire” performed satisfactorily in road tests in France and around Turin (home town of Fiat who still owned Simca), and by September 1946

7728-496: Was lower and debt was falling slower than expected. The Financial Times estimate of Fiat's debt at the time was almost € 28,000,000,000. On 20 January 2009, Fiat S.p.A. and Chrysler LLC announced their intention to form a global alliance. Under the terms of the agreement, Fiat would take a 20% stake in Chrysler and gain access to its North American distribution network in exchange for providing Chrysler with technology and platforms to build smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles in

7820-520: Was named chairman, with Agnelli heir John Elkann becoming vice chairman (at the age of 28), and other family members also serving on the board. On 1 June 2004, Giuseppe Morchio was replaced by Sergio Marchionne as CEO. Giovanni Agnelli, with several investors, founded the Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (F.I.A.T.) società per azioni (S.p.a.) , Italian Automobile Factory of Turin , in 1899. Its acronymous name

7912-630: Was operating through Toro Assicurazioni to the DeAgostini Group. In the same year, Fiat sold its aviation business, FiatAvio to Avio Holding . In February 2004, the company sold its interest in Fiat Engineering, as well as its stake in Edison . Sergio Marchionne was appointed CEO of Fiat in 2004 and initially he impressed investors. At the end of the 2005 financial year, the company saw its first profit in 17 quarters of €196M for

8004-477: Was required from Fiat under the agreement. Instead it would obtain its stake mainly in exchange for covering the cost of retooling a Chrysler plant to produce one or more Fiat models for in the US. Fiat would also provide engine and transmission technology to enable Chrysler to introduce smaller, fuel-efficient models in the NAFTA market. The deal was engineered by Fiat chief Sergio Marchionne. The principal objective of

8096-612: Was shut down as US regulations became too burdensome. After the war, Fiat introduced its first tractor, the 702. By the early 1920s, Fiat had a market share in Italy of 80%. In 1921, workers seized Fiat's plants and hoisted the red flag of communism over them, to which Agnelli responded by quitting the company. However, the Italian Socialist Party and its ally organization, the Italian General Confederation of Labour , in an effort to effect

8188-430: Was still owned by Libya, an investment dating back to the mid-seventies. US foreign policy under President Reagan's administration canceled a Pentagon contract to produce earth movers with Fiat and pressured the company into brokering a buyout of the Libyan investment. In 1992, two top corporate officials in the Fiat Group were arrested for political corruption. A year later, Fiat acquired Maserati. In 1995 Alfa Romeo exited

8280-538: Was the Horizon-based Dodge Omni , which was built in the USA until 1990. The European equivalent had already been axed three years earlier when use of the Talbot name on passenger cars was finally discontinued. Fiat S.p.A. Fiat S.p.A. , or Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (Italian Automobile Factory of Turin), was an Italian holding company whose original and core activities were in

8372-416: Was the second largest European automaker by volumes produced, and the seventh in the world ahead of Honda , PSA Peugeot Citroën , Suzuki , Renault , and Daimler AG . Over the years, Fiat has acquired numerous other automakers: it acquired Lancia in 1968, became a shareholder of Ferrari in 1969, took control of Alfa Romeo from the Italian government in 1986, purchased Maserati in 1993, and became

8464-466: Was unable to access hard currency and suffered severe parts shortages as a result. Simca quickly developed a reputation for low quality which it was unable to shake. Simca do Brasil was originally 50% Brazilian-owned, but after Chrysler took over Simca France in 1966 they also obtained control of the Brazilian arm. Simca remained based in São Paulo for the entire time they were active in Brazil and never moved to Minas, as originally promised. Their range

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